“Agent Bass should have already called you. The marshal’s office is taking over Roberta’s protection—we should have had that detail from the beginning. I have all the paperwork.”

There was a rustling of papers. Gage handed Takano the fake court order. She took it and looked everything over. For a minute, Royal thought Gage’s ruse was going to work. But then Takano balked.

“Agent Bass should be calling me back any minute.”

Gage moved toward the door, blocking Royal’s view of the agent. “I don’t have time to wait for that. You can see that everything is clear and legal—”

The agent backed up a step but must have held her ground because Gage stopped moving forward.

“I’m not going to turn the girl over to anyone at the snap of a finger. I need more confirmation.”

“According to a judge, this paperwork is all the confirmation you need. Now, where is the girl?”

Uh-oh. Ice tensed. Gage was pushing too hard. He had to sell the con, finesse it, not pound it home. Ice wished now that he was the one at the door. This required a smoothness that Gage surely lacked. It was going all wrong, and he gripped the butt of his weapon, considering his options.

The woman wouldn’t give an inch. “Bass should—”

“This is a court order from a judge. No little peon FBI agent is going to countermand it.”

The agent held up her phone. “You can back off. I’m not letting you get anywhere near Roberta.”

Ice, concerned now, stepped forward, opening his coat, the hand on his weapon tight. He was ready to jump in the fray. If they only had to go through one Fed, it’d be easy. After all, he had no problem with scorched earth, but unease niggled. He knew they hadn’t done enough reconnaissance. Maybe this place wasn’t as poorly defended as it looked. Suppose there was more than one agent?

“I want the girl now! You aren’t stopping me.” Gage was losing it.

“You’re not getting—”

Slap!

The crack of a hand against skin screamed in his ear and he saw the agent jerk sideways, phone flying from her grip. Then Gage grabbed her arm, lifted her as if she were a rag doll, and flung her over the railing and into the yard. She hit with a blunt oomph, shocking Ice and causing him to hesitate as he looked her way, hand still on his gun but gun still in its holster. He knew it was time for all in, but a queasy feeling about this situation suddenly paralyzed him.

Gage cursed, and Ice turned his attention back to the front door. The big man yanked on the door; it must have been locked. Gage drew his weapon. Then he stepped back and brought his foot up, smashing the front door open.